1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for processing waste material contained in drums. The invention has particular advantages associated with processing industrial waste such that the industrial waste can be incinerated or disposed.
2. Description of Related Art
Industrial facilities generate significant amounts of both hazardous and non-hazardous waste material. Typically, this waste is placed in barrels, such as 55 gallon cylindrical barrels, and stored on-site at the industrial facility until the barrels are transported to an appropriate waste treatment facility, where the barrels are emptied and the material is either processed for incineration or disposal in a landfill. For example, when the barrels contain sludge and/or solids, a waste processing facility will often remove these substances and blend them with liquid to generate a slurry capable of being burned in a cement kiln or general incinerator. However, this current process of waste treatment has many drawbacks and disadvantages.
Shipping the barrels containing the industrial waste limits the amount of waste that can be transported to the processing facility. In addition, substances in the barrels sometimes leak or spill because some barrels are not designed for use as transportation vessels. For example, moisture collected under a metal barrel could cause the bottom of the barrel to rust away, which sometimes leads to formation of a hole capable of causing leakage during transportation.
When the barrels are reused, the empty barrels often must be shipped back to the industrial facility after the material is removed at the processing facility. For industries where a significant amount of waste is generated, these transportation requirements can substantially increase the overall cost of waste treatment. In addition to the increased cost associated with the transportation, the use of the barrels as transportation vessels also requires maintaining a relatively large inventory of barrels for use in both the transit of material and the on-site storage of material.
Relying upon waste treatment facilities is another drawback associated with some existing waste material processing. Governing authorities impose a significant number of laws and regulations related to the treatment of waste material. Consequently, waste processing facilities are very costly to operate and, in some areas where there is a heavy concentration of industry, there are shortages of these facilities. For certain industries that generate large amounts of hazardous substances, material processing facilities charge a relatively significant fee for their services. For example, when barrels are used to transport material to the processing facility, a processing facility might charge additional fees associated with removing material from the barrels and the unloading and loading of barrels from/to vehicles.
Although most waste treatment facilities are reliable, they may handle waste material improperly. For example, a processing facility might intentionally or unintentionally dispose of industrial waste in a landfill rather than blending the waste and incinerating it in accordance with the instructions of an industrial facility. If certain materials are disposed in this manner, an environmental hazard could be created. In such circumstances, laws and regulations may hold the original industrial facility at least partially liable for the enormously expensive task of cleaning-up the environmental hazard, even when the industrial facility had no intent of disposing the waste material in this manner.
In light of the foregoing, there is a need for improving the processing of waste material.